Netball: Taumaunu looks to win series on Aussie soil

Waimarama Taumaunu was just a teenager when, in her first tour to Australia with the Silver Ferns, she helped achieve what no other New Zealand side had done in 43 years of transtasman netball tests - win a series on Australian soil.

Now in her first series as coach of the Silver Ferns, Taumaunu is looking to repeat the efforts of the 1981 side by winning just their second series across the Tasman tomorrow.

The Silver Ferns will do battle with Australia in the Constellation Cup decider in Melbourne.

After world championship heartbreak in July, stealing the Constellation Cup away from Australia would help the Ferns wrap up 2011 on a more positive note.

Taumaunu was just 19 when she helped the Ferns pull off what up until that point many had believed to be impossible. At the time she realised it was a momentous occasion, but with every passing year the enormity of the achievement has grown.

Taumaunu said the team don't want to let the opportunity to score a rare series win on Aussie turf pass them by.

"We've talked about the history of it, we've talked about the fact that this is tough and not many New Zealand teams have done this, but they're up for the challenge of putting themselves on the line," she said.

Just like the 1981 team, the current group also includes a 19-year-old rookie defender on her first tour to Australia, who will be relied on to provide some magic off the bench.

Kayla Cullen, who won her place in the side after injury ruled out experienced defenders Casey Williams and Katrina Grant, has impressed in her brief forays in the first two tests..

Taumaunu believes the young Mystics defender will grow from her exposure to the test environment.

"Considering they're tests against Australia, I think she is really fortunate to be in the position where she has been able to come in, do her job and go off again without too much stress because of the calibre of players she has around her," she said. "I remember I was in a similar position in 1981 when I started. I had a great group of people around me so my view of Australia was never that they were unbeatable.

"It was always that it was hard, but achievable and I hope that is the mental attitude that we're going to set [Cullen] up with going forward."

Cullen appears oblivious to pressure mounting on the Ferns ahead of tomorrow's series decider.

"It's a pretty big game, but it should be heaps of fun, actually. I'm just really excited and hopefully I'll get the opportunity to get out on court again," said Cullen.

With another newcomer to the team, Cathrine Latu, anchoring the shooting end in Wednesday's seven-goal loss to Australia, many are tipping Irene van Dyk will return to the starting line-up for tomorrow's clash.

But from Taumaunu's perspective the decision is not so straight-forward. "I think the one thing we've got now is two shooters who have performed creditably against Australia so I feel confident that I actually have a real choice, whereas before Cathrine played the whole game I didn't know what I was getting."

Given that Australia have stormed home over the second half in both tests this week, Taumaunu may look at starting with Latu and injecting van Dyk at halftime to close out the game.

Game time

* Australia v Silver Ferns
* Constellation Cup decider
* Hisense Arena, Melbourne
* Tomorrow, 3.30pm - Live on Sky Sport 1.